Written in the stars
by antoemati
Summary: Steffy leaves for Paris but before her departure, she surprises her dear Liam with his precious Hope. While she's away, she is distant and Liam notices it. What will happen when she gets back? Will she follow her mother's advice and tell Liam she's pregnant with his child? Will Liam eternally swing between Steffy and Hope? Read and See…
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my Steam fanfiction 'Written in the stars'. I have been thinking about writing a Steam fanfiction and the lack of stories dedicated to Steffy and Liam is what really decided me.**

**Also, I have another fanfiction going on, a Klaroline (Klaus/Caroline) one so I will most likely alternate updates… just so you know.**

Steffy Forrester had just come back from her trip to Paris and her boyfriend, Liam Spencer was holding her in his arms, a happy expression on his face. When they broke away, Liam brought a hand to Steffy's hair and kissed her cheek.

"I'm glad you're back." Liam declared.

"You mean it?" she asked in a low voice with a small smile on her face.

He smiled back at her and shook his head. He brought his face closer to hers.

"You have no idea how much I missed you." He assured her.

She kept smiling and gazed at him. He brought her back into his arms, passing a hand through her hair.

She eventually pulled away, "Hope's presence wasn't sufficient to fill my absence?" she asked in a deceptive calm tone.

She took a look around the house at the search of anything indicating the blonde's presence in her home where she was utterly unwelcome as far as the hostess was concerned. Fortunately, she didn't find anything. However, as she cast a glance at the room she shared with Liam, flashes of Hope and the latter practically rolling in THEIR sheets ran through Steffy's head and she momentarily closed her eyes in disgust.

Liam looked at Steffy shamefully and then looked at his feet. When he looked back up at her, he caught her looking at him quite spitefully.

However, truth be told, Steffy was more mad at herself than at Liam. Indeed, she should have known better than to trust Liam and leave town at such a critical moment. After all, the man wasn't exactly known for his sense of commitment… But then again, her father needed her so… what choice did she have?

"I'm sorry…Hope shouldn't have come over here when you had just left." He admitted.

"No, it's ok." Steffy declared doing some sort of wave with her hand. "It's only natural that she rushed over here once she knew I was leaving town. It just makes me laugh because meanwhile she goes and pretend to be a saint." She was clearly mocking her.

Liam looked at her, mentally disapproving, before directing his gaze elsewhere and making a face. He then cleared his throat.

"But I don't blame her, I don't. She's just trying to 'make up for lost time' she reckons you guys have been robbed…" she paused. "I can see why. But you didn't LOSE time, Liam. Time didn't just stop when you and Hope broke up. It kept going! And you moved on! At least I thought you did." She stated, obviously distraught.

"I understand Hope's behavior." She said truthfully. "You, on the other hand, I am having quite some trouble understanding."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left her come here just after your departure. I feel bad." he confessed.

William Jr Spencer really did feel bad. He felt bad for hurting and stringing along both Steffy and Hope. Every time he was with the blonde while Steffy was away, he knew the whole thing was a terrible idea. He knew every moment with her would only make things worse and the decision harder.

He shouldn't have left things get so far with Hope. But how could he not? How could he help himself when the woman he was supposed to spend his life with was desperate to have him back?

"You and Hope had a lot to work through. It's good that you had this time together: you needed it." She said moving towards the couch to have a seat.

Liam shook his head from left to right twice; in amazement. He turned to gaze at Steffy, then, got to her.

He bent next to her and gave her a genuine mesmerized smile.

"What?" she questioned with a small smile mirroring his own.

"How do you do that?" he asked; his eyebrows creased, his expression showing amazement.

"Do what?"

"How can you always be so understanding?" he asked her seeming astonished.

Indeed, the understanding Steffy gave proof of to Liam was really outside the norm; she was quite the opposite of Hope in that area. The most recent example of that fact was when Rick finally confessed his lie with the whole bartender thing and the truth came out… Liam had thought with everything revealed and Hope trying to make amends, Steffy would freak out and go all insecure on him. He thought she would get suspicious or throw jealousy fits… But there had been nothing.

On the contrary, she had encouraged him to spend some time with Hope trying to deal with… whatever it was that needed to be dealt with. And even more impressive, she didn't hesitate to leave for Paris the second her father needed her, despite the horrible timing.

No, as far as Liam could tell, Steffy had always had faith in him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't always worthy of her trust.

"I ask myself every day what I did to deserve a woman like you… to deserve you…" Liam voiced his thoughts.

"Well, don't you say all the right things?" she asked rhetorically; a smile lighting up her face.

Steffy shrugged. "Well, let's just say you're a lucky man." She answered his unspoken question.

"Yeah, I definitely am."

She smiled at him. "I'm glad that I'm back though." Steffy confessed. "I'm glad that I'm back and I, I'm ready to start living my life…"

"… With you." She specified. "The question is 'Are you?'" she asked hesitantly.  
Liam looked straight into Steffy's eyes and saw the latter needed reassurance but he didn't quite know what to say.

"Mom, would you chill?" Thomas asked Taylor, his eyes purposely broadening as he expressed his irritation.

"I am chilling." Taylor replied continuing her stamping her foot getting Thomas even more annoyed.

He gave her a look.

She looked at him and let out an aggravated sigh after stopping her stamping.

"Sorry."

"What the hell has got you so concerned anyway?" he asked knitting his eyebrows.

She looked at him briefly, and then got up. "Nothing."

She got away from the small table in the living room.

What was she supposed to tell him? That his sister was pregnant with her so-called boyfriend's child, her so-called boyfriend who had been spending most of his free time, since Steffy flew to Paris, alone with Hope?! Flirting… and doing God knows what else?

That wasn't her place!

Moreover, Steffy would kill her if the word 'pregnant' even grazed her lips. And Thomas would kill Liam if he heard a word about his disrespectful never-ending flirting with Hope.

"Nothing?" Thomas repeated, incredulous. "You weren't this worried the day before I got my tonsils removed!"

Taylor didn't budge.

"Mom, what is going on?" Thomas insisted.

She turned and glanced in his direction.

Then, she turned her attention back to the balcony she could look at through the French window.

"I'm worried about your sister." Taylor admitted.

"Steffy?!"Thomas said, the utmost confusion laced in his voice. "Why?" he asked. "Has something happened?!" he jumped out of his seat; his eyes widened and worry evident inside them.

"No, no, no worries." Taylor put her hand before her. "Nothing has happened to your sister. She's okay. At least, I hope so."

"Then what it is?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Liam?" he tried.

Once again, Taylor didn't answer but he noticed her shift and he reacted by frowning. He approached her more.

"Mom…?" he called out for her.

Tom sighed of exasperation. "What has he done again?" he inquired rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"What do you think?"

"He keeps flirting with Hope." He stated more than he asked.

"He does." Taylor confirmed.

They stayed in silence for a moment, each lost in their thoughts.

"You think he's going back to her, don't you?" he eventually asked, his concern for his sister's happiness evident in his voice and facial expression.

She turned to look at her son and returned his question: "Don't you?"

/

Liam and Steffy were still in their living room. He was now sitting next to her. He asked her if she wanted him to cook her something or fix her some hot cocoa but she declined the offer saying that she already ate on the plane and was okay.  
"How was your trip?" Liam asked Steffy.

"It was okay. It was great to see my dad, of course. My time with him was the best part of my trip." She answered.

He smiled at her.

Spending some time with Ridge had been really good for Steffy. Her father had always been her greatest support, her grandma excluded, and she was at a time in her life when she needed him more than ever. Indeed, now that she was pregnant with a child of her own, Steffy's parents would become even more essential to her sake and well-being.

She had no idea if she could count on Liam or not as far as this pregnancy was concerned considering she didn't even know if she was going to tell him or not… However, she knew her parents would ALWAYS be there for her. She knew despite their geographic distance that her father was still and would always be there with her.

She smiled at the thought.

"How is he?" he asked.

Steffy shrugged. "He's been better…" she admitted. "My presence helped him, though. At least, that's the impression he gave me."

"Getting over Brooke is harder than he thought." Steffy added.

"Yeah, I can imagine." Liam declared without taking the time to think of his words.

Steffy's eyes shot up at Liam. "You sure can." She commented bitterly before getting up and moving away from her boyfriend.

The latter watched her as she did so.

"Years of falling in and out of love with a Logan… it doesn't leave without marks." She remarked.

"Your father will get through this." Liam stated getting up as well.

"I know he will." She paused. "He's a strong man."

"Oh…" he moved closer to her. "…so that's who you got all your strength from." He said bearing a smile on his face.

Liam circled his girlfriend's waist with his arms and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before moving to her neck leaving a trail of hot kisses on his way. Steffy brought her hands in Liam's dark hair in an attempt to steady herself, not quite successfully.

"Actually, I believe I got my strength from my grandmother." She declared with difficulty.

Liam removed his lips from Steffy's neck for an instant to look into the gorgeous brunette's eyes. "Is that so?"

She nodded with effort.

He hummed and brought his lips beside her ear before he whispered: "Wonder what else you got from her…"

As Liam's hot breath swelled over the shell of her ear, Steffy almost lost her own breath.

Liam then attacked and devoured Steffy's collarbone in a mixture of kissing and nipping. The latter moved her right hand from Liam's hair to his neck to his left shoulder.

Trying to learn how to breathe again, she braced her hand that rested on his shoulder against his chest to put an end to his ministrations.

"Liam…" she murmured panting. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Oh come on, don't you think we've done enough talking for today?" he rhetorically asked.

He kept kissing her right where her ear met her neck.

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do." She got a grip on herself and managed to free herself from his grasp. "I know I am."

She moved to the other end of the room and turned around to face an utterly confused Liam.

"I am tired of talking to myself mostly. I am tired of wondering if I'm a good enough life partner, I am tired of wondering if I'm giving you what you need." Steffy was obviously trying her best to remain calm.

Liam was listening and looking at his girlfriend intently, his eyebrows creased. He surely wasn't expecting this. What was this coming from?

Sure, Steffy had reasons to ask herself so many questions given his inappropriate and rather changing behavior… but she had never before expressed her uncertainties so clearly and bluntly so much actually that Liam didn't even know she had ones.

"I am tired of asking myself if I'm making you happy, Liam! And I am so, so sick of questioning your devotion and loyalty to me!" she declared overwrought and with tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Steffy…" Liam said; concern evident in his voice. He moved to get to her and comfort her but she wouldn't let him touch her and moved away.

He tilted his head in incomprehension, his mouth half-opened.

"Sweetheart, what is going on?" he tried to know.

Steffy sighed and brought her fingers to both extremities of her eyes near her nose; she pinched the spot.

She brought a hand to her stomach without Liam noticing and breathed in deeply trying to calm herself down and gather the rest of strength she had left.

Then, she dropped her hands to her sides and turned around so they could see each other.

"The day I was leaving for Paris… I had to make a stop back at home. I, I wanted to talk to you." Steffy declared.

"Ok." Liam spoke not quite seeing where the conversation was going to.

"Hope was already here." She continued.

He looked away for an instant as if trying to remember the day.

"And you didn't come in? Why didn't…?" he stopped immediately when he saw the look Steffy was giving him.

It didn't take Liam very long to understand.

"Oh… Oh no, Steffy…" Liam spoke.

"I saw… you two… in our bed." She explained. "It was too much to witness so I left." She sighed in the end and lowered her head.

He moved to one end of the room and she reached the other end.

"Oh my God, Steffy, I want you to know that we didn't…" he started.

"Is that supposed to make everything ok?" Steffy asked in a rather calm tone, her eyebrows frown however, cutting him off.

"No, of course not!" Liam answered. He advanced towards the raven-haired woman.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked slowly but surely losing her temper, making a step in Liam's direction.

"No!"

Steffy sighed and shook her head in disbelief and extreme desperation, her eyes closed, biting her lip. This situation was becoming awfully stressful for her and last time she checked, stress wasn't exactly recommended for pregnant women… Therefore she had to be exceptionally careful for both her and her baby.

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Steffy, I am so so sorry… you didn't deserve to witness such a scene… I, I am so sorry." He apologized. "God, I can't believe you're not throwing things at me, right now."

"No reason to." She told him. "I am not Hope, Liam!" She said desperately. "When are you going to realize that?"

"Throw things at you, really?" she rhetorically asked. "How mature is that?"

"It's far more her style anyway." she added rolling her eyes and moving past Liam to the other end of the living room.

Liam turned to watch her movement.

He studied her demeanor and felt so bad for it. She seemed so out of her skin. He could barely see the so strong Steffy Forrester he had always known and been able to rely on in hard times. Usually, she bore this beautiful blinding smile and literally radiated with light but in that moment, her complexion was blade and she had a morose look.

Liam's heart tightened in his chest at the thought that he was the one who put her in such a state and an even guiltier look found its place on his face.

The raven-haired woman leaned on the table thanks to the support of her hands. She sighed.

"Look at me trashing Hope." She said half-yelling half-laughing ironically. "Why am I trashing Hope?!" she asked herself bringing her hands to her face. "She's not the problem." Steffy remarked.

She turned to face the father of her unborn child before she added: "You are…" she said as if the realization had just hit her mind, putting the emphasis on the word 'you'.

She turned around again.  
Liam remained silent as he watched his girlfriend literally have a nervous breakdown. He was astonished, had no idea what to do, what to say… What could he say? Steffy was right. Steffy was a hundred percent right: he was the problem indeed; and he was perfectly aware of that. He just had no idea what to do about that fact; he had no idea how to change it.

Liam knew he had to make a decision… for good, this time. He couldn't keep this up… stringing them both along. Turning to Steffy every time he went through a crisis with Hope, running back to Hope every time the crisis seemed resolved… He had to pick. But which one? This would probably be the biggest decision of his life and it would affect his and mostly their entire future. He couldn't make it without due reflection.

Steffy brought a hand to her still small stomach. "I see what we could have… I can feel it inside of me." She told him stroking her stomach. Little did he know her words had a literal meaning.

"But if you don't…" she continued. "As hard as it will be for me to lose you…" she paused to turn and face Liam. "… you should put an end to us." She ended with tears building in her eyes.

"Sweetheart, please, you need to sit." Liam demanded as he advanced towards Steffy to accomplish the said action and make her sit.

"No!" Steffy raised a hand before her as if to prevent Liam from touching her.

The latter stayed still, speechless, his eyes widened.

"What I need is some time." Steffy spoke.

"Ok." Liam agreed.

"…away." She added.

Liam tilted his head to the side and knit his brows. "What are you saying?" he asked; a hint of not only hesitation but fear also in his voice.

Steffy swallowed with difficulty. She raised her head and turned to face her boyfriend.

"I love you, Liam, you know that." She began. "You know that I will never stop loving you."

Liam lowered his head preparing himself for what was about to come.

Steffy moved slowly towards him.

Once she reached him, she took his chin into her hand and lifted it gently.

As he painfully held her gaze, she painfully continued.

"This isn't me pressuring you." She stated. "This isn't me trying to force you to make a decision you're not ready to make… You know I'd never do that to you." She looked right into Liam's eyes and put the palm of her hand on Liam's face.

"I do."

"This is me trying to be the bigger person and above all, learning from the past." She specified. "I refuse to be the default choice in your beautiful and eternal love story with Hope, like my mom was in my father and Brooke's romance." She explained. "I won't play that part." She stated with determination.

She dropped her hand from Liam's face and moved away from him in the entry's direction.

"What are you…? Liam began to ask.

"I am moving out." Steffy answered his unfinished question.

"What?!" Liam exclaimed. "But you can't…"

"I can…" she cut him off after she turned. "… and I am." She told him, resolution anchored in her eyes and her voice.

"I am done… letting you waste my time. I am not making the same mistake my mother did: clinging to a relationship when clearly my dad wanted to be with Brooke instead."

"Not that it worked out." Liam commented, his head lowered, not looking at her.

"Not that you and Hope would either." The raven-haired woman pointed out. "But that's up to you to find out. I'm not going to be along for the ride."

"Is that an ultimatum?" he asked her. "It sure looks like one.

"No, it's not." Steffy merely responded. "You know I'd never do that to you." She added.

He nodded lightly.

She advanced towards him. "I'm not going to make you stay with me because I, I made some demands." She told him. "You know that's not who I am."

He kept nodding. "Yeah."

"But like I said, I'm done doing this. I'm done waiting in limbo. I doubt Hope appreciates this situation either. This isn't an ultimatum." Steffy stated. "It's called growing up." She clarified shrugging.

"Liam, you need to make a decision! … Without me or Hope interfering and messing with your head! That's why I'm moving out… and that's why I'm hoping that you won't let her take this opportunity to move back in." she paused. "You need to choose which life you want to lead, Liam, and I wish that you would do it so I can move on with mine!" she ended desperately.

Liam gazed at her with a sorry expression but didn't reply.

She turned around once again about to grab her bag but was stopped by Liam.

"Wait."

He approached her slowly. And for a second, Steffy thought he'd ask her to stay; she hoped he would anyway. She hoped he'd tell her that he loved her and that no thinking was necessary because his choice was already made.

He didn't.

Instead, Liam brought both his hands to her arms and stroked them before declaring: "I love you." He looked her straight in the eyes lowering his face towards hers as if to amplify his words and underline their sincerity.

Then, he cupped her beautiful face and laid a loving kiss on her forehead.

"I'll call you tomorrow."

Steffy just stared at Liam emotionless, without uttering a syllable: it was impossible to make out the mystery her eyes held and decipher the thoughts her mind sheltered.

"You just do… what you have to." She replied. "So will I." she declared before heading towards the door.

She made her exit under her 'boyfriend's unexpressive gaze.

/

Liam was slumped on his couch, a glass only half-filled with neat scotch in his hand. He thought he looked pathetic what was entirely false to be honest. And to say, just a few months ago, he was living a perfect life with Steffy in their perfect home and their perfect world with a perfect and radiant future ahead of them. He had almost succeeded in getting Hope out of his system. And now here he was, looking awful on his couch, drowning his sorrow in a glass of alcohol, trying to figure his life out. Liam couldn't believe things had gotten so messed up. He couldn't believe he had let things get so messed up.

This isn't the life that he wanted and it certainly wasn't the one he had planned. No, he had planned to spend the rest of his days with Hope. He had planned to marry her and start a family with her… have children with her… They were supposed to grow old together, grow grey hair together, and watch their grandkids play around in their garden rapt with wonder.

His phone's bell interrupted his thoughts. He looked at the screen.

'Hello?' he answered.

'Liam? It's me…' Hope said.

**Hope you enjoyed the first chapter and want more. **

**Did you like the changes I made to the original Steam scene?**

**Please follow/favorite/review.**

**Till' next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy Written in the stars's second chapter.**

His phone's bell interrupted his thoughts. He looked at the screen.

'Hello?' he answered.

'Liam? It's me…' Hope said.

'Yeah, I know. I saw your name on the screen.'

Hope nodded on the phone. 'Is this a bad time?" she paused. 'You sound tensed… and kind of drunk.'

Liam chuckled. 'You can tell that I'm tensed just by listening to the sound of my voice?'

'I know you pretty well.'

'Yeah, you do.'

'You didn't answer my question.' Hope pointed out.

'Steffy is not here if that's what you want to know.' Liam answered.

There was a small silence over the phone until Liam spoke again: 'You could at least try to hide your joy.'

'Excuse me?' Hope said raising her eyebrows in incomprehension.

'I can actually hear you smiling.' Liam snapped.

Hope cleared her throat in embarrassment.

'Sorry.' She apologized. 'I'm not happy.' she told him. 'I'm just not… unhappy.'

He tilted his head half-angry half-amused.

'Hope…' he uttered in a warning tone of voice.

'Sorry…' she apologized again, with more sincerity this time, lowering her gaze.

'Liam, have you been drinking?' she questioned.

'Noooo.'

'Liam…' it was Hope's turn to use a warning tone of voice.

'Okay, maybe I had one drink.' Liam admitted.

'Maybe?' she repeated half-chuckling half-dazed. 'And one?' she asked, skeptical. 'How big exactly was that one drink?' she mocked him.

'I am not drunk, mother.'

'I am just looking out for you. Don't get defensive!' Hope defended herself.

'I know…' he paused. 'Thank you.'

'You're welcome.' She said with a smile.

He unknowingly replied with a similar smile.

'So Steffy's not with you, huh?'

There was yet another silence.

Liam didn't want to talk about this with Hope. Hell, he didn't want to talk about this with anyone. Besides, it didn't seem fair to talk to Hope about Steffy or conversely. The way he saw it, neither of them needed to know what was going on with the other. And until he made his choice, he had every intention to keep his business with Steffy with Steffy and his with Hope with Hope.

'Liam?' she called as he still didn't answer after a few seconds.

'Yes?' he answered.

'Is everything ok? What is going on with you? How come Steffy isn't with you?' she bombarded him with questions; however, concern evident in her low voice.

'She moved out.' Liam declared above a whisper.

The blonde's eyes widened and she didn't reply. It was her turn to be short of words.

'You mean you moved her out?' Hope asked not wanting to have false hope.

'Look, you were right…" He spoke. 'This is a bad time. I'll call you tomorrow, ok? I, I need some sleep.'

'Ok.' She waited a small moment for a reply but didn't get any so she offered. 'Are you sure that you're okay? Do you want me to come over?'

'No, thanks… I'm okay. Things just aren't really clear in my head right now. But like I said… I'll call you tomorrow.' He promised Hope.

'Ok.' The blonde said again. 'Have a good night.' She wished.

'Yeah, you too.'

After he rung off his phone, a picture of him and Steffy which was set as his screen background appeared to Liam's sight. He stared involuntarily at the picture: they were holding hands, with happy smiles on their faces; their complicity and the love between them evident to anyone looking at the image. Liam thought Steffy was so stunning in that photo she outshone the beautiful scenery around them.

He looked away, obviously distraught and utterly lost. Wanting, no needing to get Steffy out of his head, he headed for his desk.

"Work." he spoke to himself clapping his hands.

As he was about to sit and work a bit, Liam noticed the raven-haired woman's work bag at the corner of his desk and picked it up.

He tilted his head disbelievingly and made a face.

Was the universe trying to send him a message?

Steffy had already made it to her apartment. She was staring at the landscape through the windows next to the bathtub when her phone started ringing. She turned and saw Liam's picture on the screen. She went to pick it and answered.

'Miss me already?' the raven-haired woman asked Liam with a fake smile on her face and in her voice.

'Yeah, I do.' The latter answered.

And he did. God, did he do. She had been gone for barely two hours; yet, he already missed her like crazy. She might as well have still been in Paris: it wouldn't have made any difference. She still wasn't WITH him… and he could still feel every bit of her absence. She filled up the place. Her smile, her laugh, that light she had about her… Liam missed everything about Steffy.

'Listen, um…' he pulled himself together and tried to find his words to ease the palpable tension that had built between them over the phone. "I probably shouldn't be calling you but um, you left your workbag here and I just…" Liam had no idea what to say; he knew what he wanted to say though. "I um, I just needed to hear you voice." He eventually declared.

At that, Steffy faintly smiled. She had been desperate to hear Liam's voice as well, so had been their child growing inside of her. She just wasn't sure this would help her take a setback.

"Are you okay?' Liam asked.

"It could be worse." She honestly responded. Though, it could be way better too.

"At least I didn't have to move in back with my mom... Now, that would be depressing." She elaborated.

"Is she there with you now?" he asked.

"No." Her answer was immediate. "Are you alone?" It was her turn to question.

"Yeah. It's kind of the point." He responded.

"It's what's fair… And it's the only way to make the right decision. You got to tune everything out." She told him.

"I'm so sorry for this, Steffy. I wish I didn't have to put you through this." He apologized.

"Hey, don't be! She said. "It was my choice, remember?" she pointed out.

"No, not for that… Well, for that too, but…" he got confused. He sighed and brought a hand to his forehead. "I'm sorry for THIS… this situation, this mess, this… train wreck!"

"I know you are." The raven-haired woman spoke in a low voice.

Truth is Steffy knew exactly what she was signing up for when she went after Liam in the first place. She knew a part of his heart would always belong to Hope. Yet, somewhere in the back of her mind, she hoped she would gain more territory into his heart and eventually oust Hope.

"I, I don't… want to lose you, Steffy." Liam declared.

"I just…" he continued. "I love you and I hope… you don't forget that."

Steffy had her eyes closed. She was painfully taking in his words.

She reopened them. "YOU don't forget that." She told Liam causing him to half-laugh half-smile.

"This doesn't mean it's the end for us." He specified. "You know, I just… I'm trying to do right by everybody. I'm trying to make the right decision and there's so much to consider and I, I hope you understand."

"I do." Steffy replied. "I love you too." She took an instant. "I hope you make the right decision."

She brought a hand to her stomach and stroked it. "Don't let us down…" She demanded thinking about his baby she was carrying inside of her.

She hung up and Liam removed his phone from his ear.

She moved to the bathtub and sat at its corner still holding her stomach, a worried expression on her face.

/

Steffy was in her apartment drinking one of the three cups of coffee she was allowed per day as a pregnant woman according to a website relative to recommendations for pregnant women. At the same time, she was on her Yahoo account checking out her emails; a lot came from her mother's address –invading, much? –most were from Forrester Creations. Apparently, Eric, Rick, Thomas and Thorne were on on launching a new collection to increase the company's benefits and wanted her opinion on the subject. She had also received a report concerning FC's income… and the least one could say was that Hope For The Future's sales had fallen. Therefore, maybe a new collection to regild the company's image wasn't a terrible idea. At another time and in other circumstances, Steffy would have most likely exulted because of the blonde, her sworn enemy's downfall but right now, she honestly couldn't be more indifferent. No, right now, Steffy had more important issues like whether or not her child was going to be raised with its both parents living under the same roof in family bliss.

It had been a very long time since Steffy slept in that apartment: ever since Liam asked her to move back into their home in fact. It was extremely difficult for her being here now given the memories of her and Liam it held. Indeed, the bathtub in the entry wasn't only a reminder of how he saved her from drowning after her heartbreaking breakup with Bill… Every time her eyes lay on the bathtub, Steffy's mind would go back to her very first (thank you) kiss with Liam and the poor woman's heart would tighten a bit more in her chest. She remembered all too well…

She had spent most of the night thinking about Liam and had ended up drifting off to sleep due to exhaustion. And now, sitting at her dining room still quite flat, finishing her breakfast while checking her mails, she was still thinking about Liam. And to think she used to be a hardened single woman…

What had happened to her?

What had Liam Spencer done to Steffy Forrester?

As she brought a soft hand to her stomach, it finally hit Steffy: she would never be able to completely cut Liam out of her mind, and her heart was a much bigger deal… He was stuck there! She was carrying his baby for God's sake! And that child would be a constant reminder of their love story… which a priori was a good thing... She hoped it wouldn't turn out to be a bad thing. However, Steffy was pretty sure that no matter the decision he'd make, she would never come to repudiate neither Liam neither what they shared.

Tired of rehashing things and desperately needing to tear Liam away from her thoughts, the raven-haired woman decided she should focus on her work… And what better way to do that than to go to work? That's how Steffy Forrester worked up the strength to head for Forrester Creations at only seven thirty in the morning.

She finished her coffee and her bit of bread, put the crockery in the dishwasher, her bag on her arm, and grabbed her car keys. As she was about to pass the door-step to go out of her apartment, Steffy's phone buzzed on the counter and the latter realized she had almost forgotten it. So she came back into the apartment and went over to the counter to pick it up. She read the message she had just received first:

_I miss you._

_I love you._

_Kiss._

A picture of Liam laying a kiss on the palm of his fingers was attached.

/

Liam was at the office trying his best to stay occupied and actually succeeding. He was working on an article for the next number of Spencer Publications. It dealt with Jackie M's new beach collection and promoted it praising the designs and the items as well as the arrangement between the colors. Jackie Marone had insisted on the number of pages granted to the article: she wanted a maximum of publicity. Indeed, Jackie M's sales hadn't been extraordinary lately and with this new beach collection, the CEO of the company certainly hoped to regild the image of her 'empire'; this was a last shot for her.

The reason Liam was there so early was that he had woken up and gotten up horribly early and had eventually grown fed up of thinking of Steffy: she was all he saw. Indeed, Liam hadn't spent such an agitated night in a long time; he had drifted off to sleep thinking about Steffy and he had woken up, thinking about Steffy. His whole place looked the picture of Steffy. The brunette had impregnated everything with her scent: the kitchen, the towels, the sheets… Thinking about his bed, THEIR bed, Liam couldn't help but feel guilty: after all, he had more or less betrayed her in that bed, he had soiled it.

He was going through some paperwork when the door opened and let appear his father.

"Liam!" Bill said, surprise dripping from his voice.

"Morning, father." He merely greeted him.

"Morning." Bill greeted back before he slightly turned to close the door. "What are you doing here?" he questioned approaching his son's desk.

"Same as you…" Liam responded. "Working." He made it explicit, removing his nose from his papers.

"Okay, let me do this again." Bill said. "What are you doing here at this early hour of the morning?" he specified his question. "Didn't you sleep yesterday?"

It was barely eight a.m. effectively. Yet, Liam wasn't used to come to work before at least nine thirty. Indeed, for as a very hard-working person he was, Liam was a big –not to say a huge –sleeper.

Liam briefly looked at Bill but didn't answer him so his father unlikely insisted.

"I thought Steffy was coming back from her trip yesterday."

"She was." He stated. "She did."

"Okay, so again: What are you doing here?!"

Liam dropped his pen. He let out a sigh, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of nose in annoyance. Wasn't it obvious he just didn't want to get into it?

"Why aren't you home taking care of your girlfriend?" the old man asked. "Enjoying her and telling her how much you missed her while she was away?"

It was in those moments Bill wondered if Liam was really his son: the guy had a wonderful, gorgeous, girlfriend at home who had just returned from a long trip and instead of making love to her and relishing in her; here he was working at the office on a Sunday morning at eight a.m. No, but was he made of steel or something?

"Because I can't." Liam answered.

"You can't." repeated Bill in a questioning way.

"Indeed." Liam stated. "Steffy's not home."

"But you said…"

"She moved out." He cut him off.

"She WHAT?!" Bill yelled. "Why would you do something like that?!"

"I didn't do ANYTHING!" Liam countered trying his best to remain calm. "It was HER decision!" he announced.

Liam's words echoed in Bill's mind: _'it was her decision'._

Now why on earth would she do something like that? What had gotten into her?

This was by far the most stupid decision she had ever made. She was merely letting the door wide open for that fake blonde! Where was the fierce and tenacious Steffy he had always known, respected and admired?

"And why would she do something like that?" he asked. "Surely because of something YOU did in the first place." He accused.

Liam let out a dry chuckle and shook his head.

He could have predicted just how the conversation would unroll. This was exactly why he didn't want to answer him to begin with. Liam knew Bill would immediately throw accusations in his face and assume he was the one to blame. Sure, he WAS to blame. But the presumption of innocence existed and a little bit of support from time to time coming from his father would be appreciated.

"She saw Hope and me making out on our bed just before her departure." He fessed up.

At that, Bill didn't say a word; he simply stared at his son surprising the latter who expected an outburst.

Mentally, the old man cursed his son. How was it humanly possible to be that stupid? How could a man normally incorporated prefer Hope to Steffy? Or even hesitate between the two? That was beyond Bill's understanding.

"You totally want to give me a slap right now, don't you?"

"That's an understatement." Bill responded.

/

Steffy was looking into the report relative to the six past months' sales. Apparently, their turnover showed a slight decrease. Thomas was right: something had to be done fast before things got worse for the company.

A knock on the door briefly pulled Steffy out of her papers.

"Yes?" she answered.

The door opened and Steffy lifted her gaze to see who it was.

"Oliver!" she exclaimed getting up. She turned round the table and got to him.

"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked.

She gave him a quick hug and he responded rubbing her back.

"I'm fine, thanks! You?"

"I'm good." He responded simply with a smile.

"Is that for me?" she asked pointing at the file he was holding.

"It is." Oliver stated. "Coming from Madison." He specified handing over the file to Steffy.

"Thank you. I have been waiting for this." The brunette declared.

"So I've been told."

"So what are you doing here anyway?" she asked him. "Shouldn't you be basking on the beach?" she teased him imitating the scene lounging on her seat.

He laughed. "Probably same as you." He told her.

"Uh… I don't think so." Steffy said.

"I do." He stated.

"I couldn't sleep…"

Oliver stayed still… for a few seconds; and his face was just priceless.

"Okkaaayy…" he sniggered. "I am NOT here because I couldn't sleep."

Steffy laughed and Oliver immediately joined her.

"Your grandfather asked for a staff meeting." Oliver explained. "I thought you knew."

"I did." She told him. "I just thought it was more of a board meeting."

"Yeah, it probably is… but my presence has been required; Marcus' and Caroline's too."

Steffy nodded.

_Things are worse than I thought, _she mentally said to herself. Indeed, for her grandfather, Thorne, Thomas and Rick to call out a meeting a Saturday morning, things had got to be worrying. Either that or they had found an idea for a new collection.

"Very well. Well… thank you for the info." She said.

"You're welcome."

There was a small silent, rather uncomfortable, and Oliver headed for the door in order to leave but finally turned around.

"Do you want talk about it?" he offered.

Steffy who had put her focus back on her work looked up at him and creased her brows in confusion so Oliver elaborated.

"About what's bothering you." Oliver explained. "You said you couldn't sleep."

"Right. Um, no. I don't really feel like talking about it."

He nodded.

"But thank you for asking. You're a good friend." She complimented him.

"Apparently not good enough."

"No, you are. Please don't think that. It's really not you. It's just… I've been trying not to think about it and I don't want to get it back in my mind. I need to think about something else, anything else." Steffy confided.

Oliver nodded and gave her a smile; she smiled back at him.

/

"You don't intend to move Hope back in, right?" Bill asked his son. "You haven't completely lost your mind?" he made sure.

Liam just stared at Bill, keeping quiet. He loved his father, he did. But why did the latter feel like he always had to be so judgmental whenever his love life was concerned. And no offence, but it's not like his own home was a success.

"Excuse me, can you remind me why is this any of your business?" he rhetorically asked not really wanting an answer but knowing he'd get one considering who was his interlocutor.

"I AM your father." Bill pointed out approaching Liam.

"So that gives you the right to rule my life." Liam spoke more in a questioning tone of voice than an affirmative one.

"No. But…"

"Dad…" Liam cut him off. "… You already separated Hope and I once." He stated in the smoothest tone he could manage. "What am I saying? You separated Hope and I more times than I could count! You stood in our way! You schemed, you went behind my back." Liam enumerated. "Don't you think you've done enough?!" he paused. "Stay out of it!"

"Son, I just want to make sure you make the right decision. Don't let Steffy down." The old man advised. "She deserves to be treated like a queen, you know that." He declared.

"I respect Steffy. And I love her. I would never intentionally mistreat her." Liam stated.

"Good." He decreed. "Keep that in mind." He paused. "I don't want you to make a decision you'd end up regretting. I just want what's best for you, son."

"And that is to say not you." Hope commented stepping into the office.

Liam's eyes shot at her and followed her every move.

She walked towards the owner of the building. "And by that, I mean… NOT YOU." She stated. "Open your eyes, Bill: you're all wrong for your son. You are the ONLY thing that poisons his life."

"Hope…" Liam spoke in a warning voice.

Bill stared and listened at her intently, quiet before taking a step towards her as well.

"Who the hell do you think you are? How dare you talk to me like this?! You ruined my son's life! You drove him crazy and made him miserable." Bill accused the blonde.

Hearing Bill condemn her like that, Hope's jaw clenched in anger; she had tried to get on with him for so long… She had put her pride aside to make it happen, to found a semblance of understanding between them… in vain. She did it all for Liam, so he would be at peace. But it had all been for nothing because HE had never been willing to get to know her and even less, accept her.

All he had ever seen was Steffy, he had always sworn only by Steffy: their understanding had always been peculiar. No matter how hard she tried, she'd never come close to Bill's image of the raven-haired woman.

"Dad…" Liam said in a tensed voice.

"You dragged and trapped him into your dramatic life. And now that he's found a WOMAN and that he's finally happy, you want to take that from him? Could you be any more selfish?" he kept on.

"Dad!"

"You know, Bill, I tried to get along with you. For Liam's sake, I tried… because I knew how important it was for him; because I knew how important YOU were to him! But guess what? I'm done trying: you are not worth the lesser of my efforts." The blonde declared. "Your son loves me and I love him and that is more than enough."

"Effectively, it's enough." Liam intervened getting up from his armchair. "Dad, can you please leave me and Hope alone?" he addressed his father.

Hope turned to Liam and brought a soft hand inside her blonde silky hair, she lifted her eyes to the ceiling waiting for Bill to finally leave the room.

The latter gave his son a talkative look which clearly said 'Do NOT mess it up!' and retired in silence, his hands in his pocket.

Liam moved away from his desk as Hope advanced towards him; they met halfway.

"I'm sorry about that." She apologized heaving a sigh.

"It's okay." He told her. "He's my father and still, there are times when I could actually kill him." He asserted half-jokingly.

She snorted. "I wonder how you haven't already. He just has this way of testing my patience!"

"I know, I know." Liam declared placing comforting hands on her arms. He rubbed them lightly. "It's okay." he reassured her moving his hands to each side of her face.

She sighed and brought her hands to his forearms. She leaned in to kiss him catching him off guard. He didn't reject her though. It was a soft, tender kiss. She lingered on his lips a bit longer.

"Good morning, by the way." She finally greeted him.

"Good morning." He said back to her, a smile on his face.

She continued smiling.

"So what brings you here?" he questioned.

"I wanted to see you." She responded simply and Liam started nodding. "And know what's going on with you and Steffy."

He looked back up at her and met her intent eyes. They stared at each other an instant until he broke the eye contact and moved away from her.

Hope followed him with the look. "You said Steffy moved out…"

"She did." He reaffirmed.

"Did you make her?" she questioned.

"Not exactly." He confided and turned around. "She, she moved out on her own."

"She did?" Asked the blonde, her eyes enlarged, surprise dripping from her tone.

"The day Steffy left for Paris…" started Liam. "… She made a detour back home to talk to me. She didn't enter. You guess why…"

"She saw us." Hope concluded.

Liam's brows had a rise and fall motion.

"How bad was the confrontation?" she inquired.

"Not that bad. It could have been worse. She was understanding and very mature."

"Is that why she left?" Hope asked another question.

Liam turned around to face Hope. He came back by her.

"She reckons I need air; so does she." He explained, lost in his thoughts.

Hope placed a reassuring hand on his face, bringing him back to reality.

She hated seeing him like this: so lost, so distraught, so… unhappy. She just wanted to make it better. She longed to make him happy, to see that beautiful smile of his cross his handsome features.

His eyes were looking at her but his stare was lost, empty: his mind was clearly elsewhere.

"Hey…" she pulled his mind back to her. "Maybe it's for the best. She's setting you free, you can…"

"No, she's not setting me free!" Liam instantly cut Hope off immediately. "She's not letting me go." He asserted in a calmer voice.

"I know. That's not what I meant; I didn't use the right words, that's all."

"I don't want to make empty promises, Hope. I'm not doing that to you anymore, either of you. Don't read too much into Steffy moving out." He advised.

/

"Stephanie Forrester, why have you been avoiding me?!" chided Taylor barging into her daughter's office.

"Good morning, mom. It's great to see you too."

"Let me doubt that." She said. "You haven't returned my calls or my texts or my mails for two days, Steffy!"

"I'm sorry, mom, I have been busy!" Steffy told Taylor getting up from her seat to get a file on the table next to the wall.

"So busy that you haven't been able to pick up the phone?!" she exclaimed.

Steffy sighed and dropped the file back on the table.

"What the hell have you been so busy doing anyway? Moving out?"

Steffy's eyes instantly shot back at her mother.

"Who told you that?" she asked her mother.

"Liam." The latter answered.

The raven-haired woman knit her brows in confusion.

"I called him last night since I couldn't get in touch with you. He told me you had just moved out and I'd probably find you at your apartment!" revealed Taylor.

"What else did he tell you?"

"Nothing more." She responded. "He thought it'd be better if you were the one to explain everything to me."

"You didn't talk to him, did you?" Taylor questioned her daughter.

"Mom…"

"Liam needs to know you're carrying his child, Steffy!"

"Mother…!" Steffy yelled. "I am not having this conversation now, okay? This is nor the time nor the place."

Taylor sighed. "Sweetheart…"

"No, mom, I cannot talk about such a bomb here!"

"Why? You're afraid it might come and blow up in your face?" asked Taylor.

"Yes!"

"And you're right…" Someone entered the office causing for two pair of eyes to turn towards them. "An explosion happens so fast."

**Thank you for reading. **

**So who do you think entered the room? And what exactly did they hear?**

**Reviews appreciated.**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for your kind words last chapter.**

"No, mom, I cannot talk about such a bomb here!"

"Why? You're afraid it might come and blow up in your face?" asked Taylor.

"Yes!"

"And you're right…" Someone entered the office causing for two pair of eyes to turn towards them. "An explosion happens so fast."

Steffy heaved a sigh and returned behind her desk. "Have you ever heard of a knock?"

"Oh no, she comes from the valley, you know." Taylor responded instead of Brooke earning a loft look from the blonde woman.

Steffy sniggered at her mother's comment. She was putting some order on her desk when she accidentally made some documents fall. Brooke's gaze on her then became more pressing as she creased her brows in interrogation.

"What is it, Steffy?" she questioned. "You seem tensed." She noted.

To say that Steffy was tensed was an understatement. Her nerves were at cracking's door! And it was completely comprehensible: the poor woman was pregnant, and from the looks of things, it would be a stressful pregnancy. She had no clue if she was about to lose the father of her unborn child who also happened to be the love of her life… She was more and more having a hard time dealing with her father's daily (physical) absence. And to top everything, she was wondering if Brooke had overheard her and her mother and was therefore now aware of her very non-official pregnancy.

"That is just the effect of your presence." Taylor told Brooke.

"I am talking to Steffy, Taylor!" the latter snapped.

"Oh sorry, I wonder where I got this bad habit to intervene in my daughter's place." She ironically confessed. "You know… speak for her, choose for her, think for her…"

Brooke turned her head to stare at her with submachine guns instead of her.

"I only advise my daughter, I don't dictate her what to do." She defended.

"Why do you feel aimed at? I didn't say your name."

"You are so living in the past, Taylor. I feel sorry for you. You two need to stop plotting against my daughter." She declared and daughter like mother widened her eyes in astonishment; they exchanged a disbelieving look. "When will you ever get over the fact that I won and you lost? Same way Hope is going to get Liam back and you are going to lose him…" She spoke that last sentence addressing Steffy. "…If that's not already done."

"Are YOU done?" Steffy asked not really expecting an answer and not getting one; instead Brooke drew herself up. The brunette left her desk and advanced towards her rival's mother. "How dare you come into my office not to talk work, but to provoke me AND my mother, and throw unfounded accusations at us?!" she flared up.

She was so mad she didn't even enjoy the feeling of relief that should've caused the realization that Brooke didn't know she was pregnant.

"Steffy…" Taylor tried to calm her daughter.

"No!" she exclaimed before turning back to Brooke. "Enough is enough! I am done being tormented by you and your blasted sisters!" she declared.

A knock at the door interrupted their quarrel.

"Come in." Steffy said bringing her hair behind her ear before putting each hand on the corresponding hip; her voice reflecting her non-appeased anger.

Madison entered the room. "Hey!" she greeted them. "Sorry to interrupt. Mister Forrester is waiting for you in his office… all of you."

/

"We need to put Forrester Creations back in the spotlight. We need to attract a new clientele, occupy fashion magazines again." Eric declared.

"We have Spencer Publications for that." Rick rightfully pointed out. "Ask Bill."

"Yes, Brooke, why don't you ask Bill?" Taylor suggested pointedly.

Brooke threw her a deathly glare.

"Actually, I was thinking you would ask him." Eric said addressing Steffy.

"Me? Why me?" asked the latter.

Her grandfather raised his eyebrows and looked at her as if the answer to her question was obvious. As a matter of fact, it was commonly known around Forrester Creations and Spencer Publications that Steffy was one of the very few people who had won Bill Spencer's admiration and respect. If all his intrigues to unite her with his elder son said anything, it said the magnate held Stephanie Forrester Jr high in his esteem.

"Because you're pretty much his daughter-in-law and he adores you." He answered.

At the 'daughter-in-law' part, the principal concerned looked away, embarrassed. She could feel Hope's intense gaze on her but acted like nothing.

"She's not his daughter in law." Reminded Hope in a stern voice.

That comment prompted Eric's gaze to direct on the blonde before his eyes went round the room, a rather concerned look on his face.

Steffy turned to stare at Hope. "You really want us to rush to the altar, don't you?"

The latter gave her a fake smile.

"Ladies, please…" Marcus intervened fearing that the business meeting would turn into a settling of scores.

The raven-haired woman turned around rolling her eyes and shaking her head slightly. It was in those moments that she was persuaded she was the better option for Liam; Hope could be so immature… it was impressive. She was all the opposite: she was mature, understanding, indulgent, and most of all, she was well aware life wasn't a fairy tale and she didn't expect it to be. Therefore, she didn't go crazy every time that realization hit her in the face.

A semblance of calm settled down in the office again.

"So will you talk to him?" Eric asked his granddaughter.

She looked back up at him. "Sure." She answered with a smile.

"Great." He nodded. "Of course, that won't be enough. If we want magazines to talk about us, then we need to give them something to talk about." He stated. "And please by something, I obviously do not mean our love lives." He specified addressing particularly Hope and Steffy.

The two antagonists were satisfied with casting glances at one another.

"You're thinking launch a new line?" suggested Thomas.

"Launch a new line, put an old one back onto our agenda… one or the other."

Brooke knit her brows in a questioning matter. "You have one in particular in mind?" she asked.

"The _Intimacy_ line was a major success." Eric responded.

"Huh?" did Steffy, slowly connecting the dots.

The _Intimacy _line was Steffy's line, originally Brooke's. It was a lingerie line, which had known a true rebirth when the brunette had become its new egeria. It had been the topic of conversation of the whole fashion world for weeks after Steffy took the torch out of Brooke's hands.

"Wait, you want us to start producing the _Intimacy _line again?" Marcus made sure.

"That's it." said Eric.

"That is a terrible idea!" Hope intervened.

"That's a great idea." Rick spoke at the same time than his sister. She threw him a deathly glare. Rick supporting Steffy's line wouldn't help him reconcile with his little sister.

"Okay. Clearly we don't all see eye to eye but personally, I think it's worth it." declared the company's CEO.

"So do I." supported Thomas.

Hope removed the hand she had brought to her forehead in despair. "Again, this is a terrible idea." The blonde insisted. "You say you want to regild the company's image. You intend to do it with a lingerie line?!" she disbelievingly asked the man she regarded as her grandfather; indignation dripping from her tone of voice.

"The _Intimacy _line made the fashion world talk about us like no other had in a very long time. It success was outstanding!" the latter pointed out. "I never understood why we even stopped the line."

Indeed, the sudden interruption of _Intimacy_ had been a major shock and for Forrester Creations' staff and for their customers. It was as if Ridge had just woken up one day and decided to put an end to the line, catching everyone off guard.

"Neither did I." admitted Thomas. "I still don't."

"I do." Steffy intervened. "It's thanks to Hope and her charming mother who convinced my gullible father that what was best was interrupting the line." She explained.

Hope just rolled her eyes while Brooke let out an ironic chuckle.

"Well, your father never could say no to Brooke." Eric told his granddaughter in a false confessing tone causing all the assembly to burst out laughing.

"The sales had decreased!" the blonde grown-up woman still defended.

"Oh please, not nearly enough to stop the line and you know it." spoke Taylor.

"In all objectivity, guys, what do you think?" asked the CEO.

"I agree with you, _Intimacy _with Steffy as the lead model had an immediate and outstanding success." Thomas declared.

"Same here." Marcus agreed.

"I think it's exactly what Forrester Creations needs right now." Rick seconded.

"I never understood why we stopped the line in the first place." Oliver admitted.

"Okay, whoa, let's breathe for a second." Steffy intervened, trying to keep her panic under the surface. "Hope has a point: regild the company's image with a lingerie line? Really? Let's go back to our classics."

At the brunette's statement, every single person in the room frown their eyebrows in confusion, except for her mother who knew exactly what was going on.

"You're against _Intimacy's_ re-launching?" her grandfather asked her, making sure he had understood well.

"For now." She confirmed. "I mean at the moment." She clarified.

"Steffy." Her brother called out. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I just don't think it's in our best interest to re-launch _Intimacy _right now. The chances are too big."

Thomas looked at her, confusion emanating from his eyes, silently asking her for an honest answer.

Hope and Brooke exchanged a confused yet worried look.

"Well, I'm taking them." The CEO declared after taking a moment to consider Steffy's arguments, causing all eyes to turn back on him.

"Fine but don't count me in." the raven-haired woman warned.

"Excuse me?"

"I refuse to model for the line." She stated.

"Why? What's your excuse?"

"I, I'm…" she struggled to find her words. What could she possibly say? _I'm kind of pregnant and I'm not sure how my stomach will do in lingerie_? "I just don't feel like modeling anymore." She ended up saying.

"Are you sick?" Eric questioned.

"No."

"Are you planning on leaving town any time soon?"

"No."

"Perfect, then it's settled." He concluded. "The Intimacy line is back on our agenda with Steffy as our lead model.

"Madison, you're in charge of publishing the news on our website." He instructed and she nodded.

"Thank you all for coming and have a nice weekend. Rest well; we'll have a loaded week."

/

It was a bright Monday morning; Hope was on a photo shoot for her line Hope for the Future on the terrace of Forrester Creations with Oliver as the photographer. She wore a long and beautiful white tunic, the color of innocence and purity, everything she used to be, everything she wasn't anymore. She looked absolutely magnificent; she glowed. Her hair was smooth and it bore headdresses. She looked like an angel who was coming straight down from heaven to shed her light on earth.

She was taking poses like a pro, what she was. Oliver couldn't take his eyes off of her; she had bewitched him and he wondered how Liam had let her go.

How could anyone ever get enough of Hope?

No one could compare to her, at least not to the Hope he remembered. She was… one of the kind.

"Yes! Amazing!" he approved continuing to photograph her.

Oliver observed Hope through the lens. "Put your hand on your hip." He told her; she complied. "Purse your lips."

Again, she complied.

"Yes! There you go!" he kept taking photos. "You look stunning!"

"Do I?" the blonde asked mischievously earning a big laugh from Oliver.

/

Steffy was in her office doing her public relations job thinking about how to promote Hope for the Future's new collection. Oliver had made a video with new pictures of Hope wearing the new collection's clothes and Hope doing a runway on Forrester Creations' podium. The promotion video was already on the company's website and it had reached an impressive number of views. Better make hay while the sun shone.

She hadn't talked to Bill yet like her grandfather had asked her to. She had planned to call him that same day but then she had postponed it to the next day, then to the next day and then to the day after that; and now it had been three days and Eric was pressing her for an answer. The thing is the raven-haired woman knew if she talked to Bill, Liam would be the immediate topic of conversation and the father would scold her for giving up on his elder son. And she really didn't feel like talking about the latter with the first…

Truth be told, Steffy didn't want to talk about her relationship with Liam to anyone. She just wanted to get him out of her head and the best way she figured to do that was to work. Unfortunately, right now, her two priorities at work consisted in Hope's campaign and finding a way to dissuade Eric from re-launching the _Intimacy_ line that didn't include revealing her pregnancy to her grandfather; and those two priorities both brought her back to Liam.

The only thing she expected from the man at the moment was that he made his decision at last, so she could move on with her life, with or without him… The raven-haired woman really had no clue what Liam's decision would be… what life he would choose to lead.

She had fought so hard for him; she had fought like a lioness determined to get her male companion by her side. She had done everything in her power to make him see how perfect they were for one another, how complementary they were, and how un-right the blonde was for him; but she was never enough.

She knew Hope loved Liam, probably just as much as she loved him; but Hope just didn't understand like him she did, she wasn't right for him like she was. She got Liam in a way that was merely beyond compare: sometimes, all it took was a look and they knew exactly what the other was feeling. They were more than some stars-crossed lovers: they were best friends, they were soul mates, they were… a match made in heaven. The funny thing is the raven-haired woman didn't believe in those soul mates kind of things before she met Liam. He truly was the one for her, and she knew she was the one for him. So why didn't he see that?

Steffy had really struggled trying to figure out why it was so hard for Liam to let Hope go. But the more she thought about it, the clearer it became to her: Hope was Liam's first real love; she taught him true love. Therefore, it was only natural that he had some trouble letting her go… But he was pushing it, he was pushing. There comes a time in life when you just have to let go, you have to say goodbye to your past, enjoy your present, and focus on your future. Steffy didn't really understand whatever it was that there was between Hope and Liam, she wasn't sure she ever would and, she didn't want to, to tell the truth. All she wanted was for Liam to put his past –that is to say Hope –behind him for good. For if they were ever to have a future together, with their child, it was the only way: she wouldn't put up with his irresolution ever again.

She remembered telling him that they would have the greatest love affair known to man-kind. And they had. She just hoped, no she prayed, that it hadn't come to an end just yet.

/

"You want me to advertise Forrester Creations?"

"That's it." Steffy confirmed.

"Hum… I don't know…" admitted Bill.

Steffy tilted her head. "Bill, I do not have time for this." She told him seriously.

"Rho, you're such a bore." He said. "What is going on with you anyway?"

She looked away, irritated.

"Stifling your misery with work?" he bothered half-teasingly causing the brunette to roll her eyes. "Becoming a workaholic isn't the solution, you know."

Now, this is exactly why she didn't want to talk to Bill in the first place: she knew the old man wouldn't be able to keep Liam out of the conversation and would want to interfere in her relationship with the latter. Only, as usual, instead of patching things up, he would just end up making them worse. The raven-haired woman didn't need people to help her relationship with Liam; she needed them to stay out of it!

"Are you done?" asked Steffy.

"Not quite."

"Bill, I came here for work." She reminded him. "I am worried about Forrester Creations." She told him.

"Well, I am worried about my son." He retorted bluntly.

"Well, then talk about it to Hope!" she quipped; and Bill creased his brows in surprise.

Steffy swallowed hardly and diverted her gaze from his in embarrassment trying to regain her composure. She gently massaged her neck to release herself of all the tension that emanated from her.

"What is going on with you?" Bill asked articulating each word, concern plainly all over his face.

She turned around so they wouldn't face each other and moved away from him. She brought a soft hand to her stomach and caressed it breathing in deeply.

"Would you just stop acting like you are not involved?" demanded the old-man.

"We need those pages in your magazines. It's in your best interest too." She changed the subject.

"I'm sorry I'm confused as to how advertising for a company which isn't talked about anymore would be in my best interest."

Bill was well aware of what the raven-haired was trying to do but he decided to go along with it for now. "Actually, the way I see it, it's only going to make my magazine's sales fall." He added.

"A company in which you have shares." She reminded him. "Look after your interests! Give us those pages."

He smirked.

"Come on." She pleaded. "_Hope for the Future_ is regaining the customers' interests and we might re-launch the _Intimacy _line." She declared.

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Really" she confirmed. "Though, maybe not with me as the lead model." She specified.

"Why?" he inquired.

Steffy shrugged. "I don't feel like modeling these days." She responded in a dull tone.

"Uh-huh." He said while nodding.

"I don't mean to upset you but would you please talk to Liam…" Bill tried.

"Bill…" she spoke in a warning voice.

"No, please hear me out Steffy, hear me out." He asked her. "Liam is lost without you, okay? He loves you and he misses you. Don't let his indecision concerning Hope get you down, he will come back to his senses, he will come back to you!"

"Well, I'm waiting." She paused. "But I won't be waiting forever."

"You seem like you've given up on him." Bill remarked.

She heaved a sigh and passed a hand on her forehead in fatigue. "I haven't given up on him or on us. I am merely tired, Bill." She confessed and he saw at her look that she really was. "I am done fighting for Liam. I've had enough. "I am done striving to be as beautiful as Hope, as morally invested as Hope, as respectable as Hope… I love Liam and I am me. That really should be enough."

"It is." Bill asserted. "You are more than enough, Steffy, and Liam will realize that." He promised.

Steffy turned around and walked to Bill's table leaning against the wall. She crossed her arms on her stomach protectively.

His brows knit together in questioning.

"Why do you keep…" he began to ask but stopped the clue of his thought.

"Oh my god." He said in a breath causing for the brunette to turn around immediately, in alert.

"What?" she inquired, managing to keep her panic out of her voice.

He creased his brows as all the implications of his realization reached his brain.

"You're pregnant."

/

Hope and Oliver were still on Forrester Creations' terrace; they were seated on a table looking over the blonde's photos Oliver had taken a few hours before. The latter had already got them released and now, they were choosing which ones they would submit to be published in Spencer Publications' magazine.

"These are so beautiful." Hope said.

Oliver gazed at the blonde in response. "You are so beautiful."

She turned to look at him and found herself caught in his gaze. A lump formed in her throat as she saw the sincerity in his blue eyes and read the affection on his face. Hope couldn't remember the last time someone had looked with so much adoration.

She focused her attention back on the photos in an attempt to hide her cheeks which had gained a pink tint. She lightly cleared her throat.

"It's all in the photographer." She pretended.

"No, it's not." Oliver countered his eyes still intent on her.

The blonde looked away, turning her head in his opposite direction. Oliver noticed her trouble and decided to stop with the compliments, as truthful as they were.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you." He apologized.

In response, she gave him a weak smile.

There was a moment of silent as Hope continued to consider the pictures where the photographer had merely tried to capture her heart-wrenchingly beauty.

"How are things going on between you and Liam?" Oliver suddenly inquired.

The blonde raised her head at the unexpected question but didn't look at him however.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that; I didn't mean to pry." He apologized once more.

"No, it's ok, you weren't prying…" She turned towards him shaking her head; she paused. '… I think. I don't know actually. Were you?"

He clucked. "It's kind of hard to tell, huh?"

She clucked as well. "Yeah, kind of."

"Especially given our history." He added.

She stared at him and studied his face: there was something morose about it; he seemed melancholy.

"I wasn't prying; I just wanted to know what's going on in your life." He explained and she smiled at him.

She turned back to look in front of her.

"Well, contrary to what I keep trying to convince myself, things aren't going so well between us. I mean, they're going on well, just… not so well."

"Okkkk." Oliver spoke.

"I mean…" she began before laughing. "He asked Steffy to move out nevertheless. He didn't ask me to move back in though."

"He's an idiot." Oliver stated. "Why?"

She huffed. "Please ask him." She rested her head in her left hand.

He chuckled. "In that case, I am an idiot too." He remarked.

She looked at him quizzically so he turned towards her and elaborated: "I never suggested that we move in together."

Hope stared at Oliver in silence for an instant. "Oliver, you proposed to me." She reminded him. "I think that beats an offer to move in."

"Yes." He confirmed nodding. "And you said no." he supplemented.

"Oliver, I…" she began but was cut off.

"No, don't, don't." He asked the blonde. "Please, don't give me the friend speech: you care about me, you love being around me, I'm an amazing friend.

"But I do." She searched for Oliver's eyes and once she found them, she pursued: "I do care about you. And I do love being around you." She confessed sincerely. "And you're not an amazing friend… you're my best friend." she added putting the emphasis on the word 'best'.

At that friendship declaration, for lack of a love one, Oliver smiled at Hope.

"I wouldn't trade you for the world." She declared reaching for his hand on the table.

He looked at their linked hands before looking up at her. "Good." He said. "Cause I wouldn't either."

The blonde's lips quirked in a tight-lipped smile, and the smile actually reached her eyes.

Oliver took her fingers in his hand, and pressed them.

**Thank you for reading.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

**Reviews appreciated.**

**You can follow me on Tumblr under **_antoemati_**and **_soapezria_**as well as on Youtube under the former.**

**Till next time.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so my lovelies for the love and support.**

**I hope you enjoy this next chapter. A lot happens.**

"Bill, you cannot tell anyone… especially not Liam." She told him.

"What do you mean I can't tell anyone? I am not keeping such a vital piece of information from…" he began.

"No, Bill, that was not a question, ok?!" she exclaimed. "I am telling you! Do not tell anyone." She articulated every word of her last sentence.

"Steffy, you are pregnant, you…" he began.

"No! God!" she started in anger and covered her face with her hands. "What did I just say? You can't even pronounce that word!" she scolded him.

"Liam needs to know." Bill stated, striving to conserve his calm.

Steffy closed her eyes and sighed. "And he will." She asserted gesturing with her hand. "…in due time."

"And when would that be?" he inquired.

"Whenever he makes his choice." She answered.

"Steffy…" he spoke in a reasoning tone of voice.

"No." The raven-haired woman raised a hand before her. "Just promise me you won't say anything." She asked him.

"Steffy!" he insisted.

"Promise me."

He stared at her, her eyes intent on him, and he saw the determination in her expression: she wouldn't let him be until he complied. He broke the eye contact and his eyebrows had a rise and fall motion.

"Fine, I promise."

She nodded grateful, relief evident in her expression.

And that is the moment Liam chose to enter his father's office.

"Promise what?" he asked addressing his father, yet gazing at Steffy for an instant before he gave the old man attention.

The raven-haired woman cast an embarrassed glance at her so-called boyfriend before she turned to Bill in silent supplication.

The latter looked at her weighing his options, and then responded to his son: "Promise to think about granting Forrester Creations a few pages in our magazine."

Liam nodded and focused his stare and attention back on Steffy.

"Hi" he greeted her with hesitation.

"Hi" she greeted back, a smile on her face.

They just stayed like that: gazing at each other, completely forgetting about Bill's presence who felt like a bit of an intruder in the moment, until the raven-haired woman broke the eye-contact and looked down at her feet.

He kept staring at her not knowing what to do or say to get things back like they used it to be. There had always been something out of the charts between them; they had something…: an understanding. And he hated the tension that filled the place; the awkwardness that had settled between them was killing him.

"Can we please talk?" he asked her.

"Sure." Steffy responded. "I was just about to leave." She declared heading for the door.

Bill followed her with his gaze. _When had things gotten so messed up? _He had never witnessed Steffy so defeatist and so flying: no matter how hard things were between her and Liam, she always believed in them.

"Steffy, I was talking to you."

She stopped on her steps and slowly turned around. She met Liam's brown eyes who had also turned around to face her.

The man looked at his father, whose gaze swung between him and his moment girlfriend. Then, Bill nodded at his son.

"Suit yourselves." He said as he walked towards the door. Passing by the brunette, he gave her a rather discrete look but that said it all: she needed to tell Liam.

Bill left the room and Liam spoke.

"You look good." He complimented and she raised her eyebrows lifting her gaze. "Though, you seem tired." He added as he studied her more intently.

"I've been working a lot." She confided and he nodded.

She advanced towards him. "What about you? How have you been doing?" she questioned.

"I'm ok." He merely answered and Steffy nodded at her turn. "I'm terrible." He finally admitted in a sigh.

He stared at her, looking straight into her green eyes. "I miss you." He genuinely told her.

She unconsciously lost herself in his gaze. "I miss you too." She replied and they stared at each other for as a small as a long moment until Steffy spoke again. "You know what to do to put an end to all this want."

He lowered his head.

"You know I should probably go." Steffy declared. He raised his head and looked at her. After a few seconds, she started walking away.

"Wait." Liam retained her by grasping her right arm.

She slowly turned around and as their eyes connected, they both couldn't help each other. He cupped her face and lowered his lips over her luscious ones. As their lips met, Steffy gasped, his mouth was at the same time soft and passionate on hers; she had missed this. She brought her hands up to his forearm before she raised them to his collar holding on for dear life. Liam passed a hand through her long and silky dark hair and deepened the kiss. He took hold of her hand by her side and pressed them together. His tongue darted out and sought access to her mouth. She opened it and let him relish, enjoying the feel of their lips battling for control herself. A wave of heat ran through them at the same moment and Steffy felt as though her body was aflame.

Then, suddenly, taking a grip on herself, she released his lips panting. He leant his forehead on hers, instantly and keenly missing the sensual contact. He stroked her hair and planted a kiss up her temple. She had her eyes closed relishing in the moment. She reluctantly removed Liam's hand from her face and her hair and released them; they fell at his side. The raven-haired woman opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out so she snapped it shut. She stared at Liam for a few seconds more then, reluctantly walked away.

/

After finally managing to get her boyfriend out of her head –at least temporarily –Steffy decided to focus on her work again and asked Madison to get her a list of the most read magazines at the present time. She was looking over it and checking the ones she could potentially contact to obtain a few pages and above all the cover from. She had a photo-shoot planned at the end of the week on Friday for _Intimacy_ and was wondering how on earth she was going to escape that. It's not the photo-shoot itself or even the re-launching of the line that was an issue; it was what was going to follow… Sure, she could do the shoot on Friday. Only, in a few months, her stomach would start to show… and she wasn't sure a pregnant woman in fine lingerie was that sexy and agreeable at the visual. But how could she let down her grandfather and Forrester Creation's staff altogether without a valid excuse which wasn't her pregnancy?

A beep on her computer coming from the groove Skype caught and retained her attention. Therefore, she dropped her pen and clicked on the groove: it was her father asking her for a video chat. She smiled widely and accepted the video call; this was just what she needed: her father, and a heart-to-heart with the latter. Ridge appeared on the screen.

'Dad!' she exclaimed.

'Hey, Steffy.' He greeted her. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine. How are you?' she asked back.

Ridge raised his brows in surprise. 'Fine? That's it?' he inquired. 'I am fine; my marriage just ended.' He declared. 'You just got back to your boyfriend; you should be on your own cloud right now.' His voice expressed his incomprehension.

'Yeah, I guess I should, shouldn't I?' simply replied the brunette inducing her father to knit his brows. _Something is seriously wrong_, he thought to himself.

'Steffy, what is going on?' her father questioned her.

She took a deep breath. 'Liam and I are separated.' She announced plainly; she might as well have been telling him the weather conditions.

'Separated? Really? And you announce me that like that?'

'How do you want me to announce it to you?' Steffy falsely asked. 'The tone doesn't change the news.' She declared.

'You should be wallowing on your couch with chocolate popcorn!' he told her.

She laughed. 'And what good would that do? Besides, I'm not a wallowing person and nobody died so why would I wallow? Would you want me to?' she questioned.

'No' answered Ridge. 'But that's what you should be doing.'

'Well, I have no intention to do so.' She asserted. 'I have way too much work anyway.' She declared.

'See, this is what I'm worried about: you finding a refuge in your work, you becoming a sort of… workaholic.' He confided.

'I'm not.' She promised.

'Sweetheart, what happened?' Ridge questioned concern evident in his voice and expression.

The raven-haired woman shrugged not knowing what to say and clearly not wanting to get into it.

'Sweetheart?' Ridge tried again.

She looked back up at the screen and sighed at her father's insistent look. She collapsed on her chair and let out yet another sigh.

'It's Hope, isn't it?' he inquired.

Steffy rubbed her forehead at her brow's level. She ran a hand through her silky hair. 'No. It's Liam… and his consistent inconstancy.' She confided looking up at the ceiling and he listened in intently. 'I'm done with it, I can't put up with it anymore; I've had enough.' She told him. 'That's why I decided to move out from Liam's place and move back into my apartment. He doesn't know where he's at; I am giving him some time and space to figure it out.'

And there it was, it was said. The reason Steffy was so reluctant to talk about what was going on between her and Liam is it made it all well more real. As weird as it may seem, she felt like as long as she didn't talk about it, it stayed abstract. And Steffy didn't want them to be over; the thought drove her mad to no point and made her head hurt and her heart ache, which is why she tried her best not to think about the situation. She had told Liam once that he really held her life in his hands; she meant it. And today, she could only hope he wouldn't put an end to it but take care of her heart she had so utterly given to him.

'You know… people say we marry our father.' She paused. 'I love you dad, but I really wished that didn't apply to my case.' Steffy confided.

Indeed, with the whole love triangle she had let herself get sucked in with Hope and Liam, she felt as though she was reliving her past with the love triangle between her mother, her father and that home wrecker going by the name of Brooke Logan; only now, she was playing one of the main characters.

'I'm really sorry, Steffy.' He told her.

'Thank you. But you don't need to worry about me, I'm…'

'Aahhh' she let out a cry of suffering bringing a hand to her stomach where a great pain had seized her.

She half-disappeared from Ridge's sight whom the shout had alarmed. 'Steffy?' Ridge called out for his daughter. 'Steffy! What is it?!' he insisted, anguish dripping from his voice.

She raised her head a bit. 'It's nothing, don't worry. I'll talk to you later, dad.' She asserted managing to keep a dull voice. 'I gotta go.'

'Steffy! Steffy?!'

She logged off damping his voice and closed the screen. She collapsed with difficulty and painfully, hurting. She breathed with effort and brought her two hands to her stomach. 'Ahhh. Oh my god.' She felt as though air was getting sucked out of her lungs to the point of asphyxia. Panting, she removed a hand from her stomach and reached out for her phone on her desk before falling into unconsciousness.

/

Comfortably seated on his office's armchair, Liam held a picture of Steffy and himself in his hand. If his memory served him well, they had taken it during their 'Find Katie' mission with his father and Brooke. It was one of their most beautiful and meaningful pictures, at least that's what Liam thought, which is why he had it on his desk. Steffy and Liam were merely looking at each other in that photo; no smile, no laugh, no whatever. And still, the picture was full of meaning: because the look they were giving one another said it all. Their gazes were marked with their love and their complicity so unique. It was a picture completely representative of their couple: they said it best when they said nothing at all.

He was touching Steffy's dark hair on the picture absently, his mind rewinding their hot encounter from this morning. The kiss they shared was so… completely unexpected –from both Steffy and Liam's part: the raven-haired woman definitely wasn't expecting that, and he absolutely hadn't planned the move. However, he didn't regret it one bit. It was such an intense kiss; he put his whole heart in it as if to show her that despite the actual distance between them, his love for her remained unaltered. Just remembering the feel of her hand in his and their fingers intertwined, Liam felt himself shudder. He could still feel her soft and sweet lips ravaging his own. He still had her taste at his tongue's end and it filled him with want.

He was so far away he didn't even hear the door open and someone get in.

Bill advanced in the room, looking at his son with a smirk at his lips' end. He lowered the number of Spencer Publications he was holding.

"Fantasizing?" he questioned pointing at the picture of him and Steffy Liam had in his hands.

Liam looked at his father and came back to earth. He put back the frame on the table.

He let out a sigh. "Yes, dad. What do you want?" asked Liam.

"This is my company." He reminded. "I don't need a reason to enter the offices and check my employees' work." He stated. "Speaking of which, did you get any done or were you too busy daydreaming about your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend?" he interrogated his son.

The latter huffed. He turned on his armchair and got up. "I put _Hope for the Future_'s new promoting video on line, and I edited the report you asked me for." He declared handing to his father the said report.

Bill took it. "Thank you." He turned and headed for the door when Liam's voice stopped him.

"Wait, that's it?" he asked, his brows knit together, and his father stayed still. "You don't even try to know what Steffy and I said to each other earlier?" he questioned, surprise written all over his face.

Bill turned around so they would face. "Do you want to talk about it?" he demanded.

Liam looked down at the floor for a second, then back up at his father. "What did you mean by 'your soon-to-be ex-girlfriend'"?

"Oh finally, you wake up!" noted Bill.

Liam creased his brows, utterly confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"You are losing her, son. Every passing second, she distances herself more from you and you don't even realize it. She won't put up with your crap much longer." He told his son. "If you don't make a decision… real soon… she's going to make it for you." He declared before he moved closer to him. "And some day or another, I can assure you that you will make up in sweat hating your life, wondering how on earth you were stupid enough to let the woman of your life go."

A lump formed in his throat as his father's words sank in. He didn't want to have to live that. He didn't want to live without her; and he wasn't sure he was capable of it.

"The thought of a life without her makes me sick to my stomach." He admitted. "I don't want to lose her." He realized as the conclusion came out.

Bill made another step to him. "Then don't."

/

The raven-haired woman had just recovered her consciousness –well, sort of: she was in a daze nevertheless. Her heart beat abnormally fast and she had her both hands on her stomach trying to regularize her heartbeat. She knew she should probably call an ambulance. But how could she without the whole company and perhaps even a big part of the world finding out about her condition, thanks to the paparazzi, before she even had the time to tell Liam? After all, it wasn't like she lived under the lee of stares. Yep.

She wasn't ready for the world to know yet. For God sakes, the father himself had no idea!

As she heard footsteps and her door flew open the second after, she instantly removed her hands from where they were, that is to say from her stomach.

"Steffy, have you seen…" Katie began to question, obviously in a hurry, as she opened the door. She stopped herself at the sight before her and closed the door as quickly as she had flown it open.

Though she had removed her hands from her stomach, the raven-haired woman hadn't managed to keep the tension and the pain off her face.

"Are you okay?" Katie enquired moving closer to her.

"It is still done to knock, you know." She rightfully pointed out to her ex-mother-in-law. "Yes, I'm okay." She answered. "Who are you looking for?" she asked at her turn.

"No, you're not." She remarked.

"Ah." Steffy let out a small shout of pain, her stomach killing her, bringing her hands there.

"Steffy!" Katie screamed, and was at her side within a second. She turned her armchair towards her and bent at her level. "Oh my god, what is it?!" she interrogated, her state of panic slowly increasing.

"It's nothing, I'm fine." She responded.

"Really?" she asked rhetorically opening her handbag to look for her cellphone. "Your breathing seems to agree." She commented ironically. She found it.

"What are you doing?" asked Steffy, still struggling to breathe steadily.

"Calling the emergencies." She answered.

"No, no, don't do that." She countered.

"I have to."

It was no secret that Katie wasn't fond of her ex-daughter-in-law, and the latter surely returned the favor. But for all their disagreements, she still wasn't willing to watch her hurt in silence without doing anything.

"It's going to pass. I'm gonna be fine." She asserted.

"Surely." The old woman confirmed. "Once you will have seen a doctor." She added.

"Please." Steffy insisted. "If an ambulance shows up here and I go in it, tomorrow I'll be on the tabloids' front page, you know it." she explained herself.

Katie heaved a sigh. "Fine." She gave up. "But you let me take you to the hospital." She insisted.

"But…" Steffy started to put forward.

"We will take the back door." She calmed the raven-haired woman's fear. "Come on, let's go." She took Steffy's purse and put it on her wrist; then, she helped her get up. She tried to get her to lean on her shoulder.

"It's good, Katie. I can still walk, thank you." She declared advancing alone.

Katie followed behind her and aimed to open the door when Steffy's hand stopped her. "Seriously… thank you." The latter told her.

/

By the time they got to Los Angeles' General Hospital, Steffy's stomach had stopped slinging and she wasn't hurting anymore. However, Katie insisted that she consulted a doctor, so she had to comply.

The doctor Dupre, a very nice woman, received her and made her run some tests as well as a blood sample. She was actually waiting for the said woman to come back and reassure her as far as her and her baby's health were concerned –indeed, she had been obliged to tell her about her pregnancy. After all, as the doctor who had ran her tests, she was bound to know; besides, she was sworn to secrecy so… what was the point in retarding the inevitable? And perhaps knowing she was pregnant would make the woman speed up the tests and she would know sooner if there was something wrong going on with her pregnancy. She had a baby to think about now: she couldn't afford to joke around with her health anymore. The child she was carrying was her top priority, her sole priority. Steffy hadn't studied medicine but, she was pretty sure the pain she had felt in her stomach earlier wasn't normal. She hoped everything was okay.

All she wanted was to go back at her apartment –she couldn't say home because well… her home was someplace else –and get some sleep. Perhaps, she had been working too much indeed. She hadn't realized it until then but she felt a surge of fatigue overcome her all of a sudden. She needed nothing other than rest… and Liam…

As the door finally opened, it was not the doctor Dupre who entered the room but a much more familiar face.

"Bridget?" she said in a questioning way, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Hey, Steffy." She greeted closing the door. "I'd ask you if you're okay but I don't think you'd be here if you were." She declared advancing towards her.

She chuckled. "As a matter of fact, I'm feeling much better, thank you." She asserted and the doctor smiled. "I didn't know you were working here again." She told Bridget.

"Yeah, nobody knows, it's a… recent change."

Steffy nodded.

"The doctor Dupre had an emergency, but you can see her tomorrow." Bridget said, the thought rushing back to her mind.

"Tomorrow?" Steffy asked.

"Yes, your test results won't be ready until tomorrow." She announced. "I can call you to let you know." She offered.

"Gladly, thank you." She thanked.

"Of course." The blonde nodded.

"So can I go now?" Steffy rose from the deckchair.

"Sure." She gave her approbation nodding. "Just… one sec." she asked going round the desk to look into the drawer. She took a small box out of it and held it out to the raven-haired woman. "Here." Steffy took the box and looked at what was written on it. "Take four a day." She told her.

"Vitamins?" she made sure raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Yes, it's for the baby."

Steffy stared at Bridget in utter shock, the blonde's words the effect of a thunderbolt; she looked like she had just been told her father was going back to Brooke. She eventually recovered her spirits and shook her head to clear her thoughts. "You know?" she asked.

"I'm sworn to secrecy, Steffy." She tried to reassure.

"It's true… and so not the point." She declared dropping her gaze to the floor. "Way too many people already know."

"Well, if somebody else happens to find out, I promise it won't be from me." Bridget stated and Steffy smiled thankfully at that.

"Thank you." She headed for the door but turned around to the blonde one last time. "I would like you to be the one to follow my pregnancy…" she asked. "… That is if you don't see any objection."

"I would be honored." She responded. "If you trust me." She set a condition putting an emphasis on the conjunction 'if'.

"I do trust you." She stated. "Four a day, huh?" she asked showing the box of vitamins.

The doctor smiled. "Let me walk you out." She said opening the door.

Once in the corridor where she had left Katie, Steffy looked around for the woman but saw her nowhere.

"Where is…" she began to ask Bridget.

"Hi" she heard Liam's voice say. She turned and saw him standing before her in the elevator.

"Liam?" she was surprised. "What are you doing here? Are you okay?" she enquired, anxiety getting the better of her.

"Okay, I'm gonna leave you two now." Bridget told the couple. "Steffy, rest! And avoid any cause for stress." She ordered.

The raven-haired woman nodded. "Thanks again." And as the doctor went away, she turned back to Liam. She gave him an interrogating look waiting for answers.

"Katie called me." He paused. "I wish you had."

"I was a bit busy." She retorted.

"Come, let me take you home." He said walking towards the elevator.

She waited a second thinking about her next move. She eventually joined him in the elevator; as it closed, he took her hand in his and intertwined their fingers.

/

Steffy and Liam were in the latter's car with him at the steering-wheel. They had hardly got in the car that he had started interrogating her about her health and pressing her to explain why exactly she had had to go to the hospital without taking the time to alert him. She told him that she was video-chatting with her father when a sharp pain seized her in the stomach and that Katie, passing by at that precise moment, had insisted on taking her to the hospital. After all, she didn't lie, she just didn't mention the passing out part and the fact that what got her so worried was that she was carrying his child in said stomach.

Liam reassured, the rest of the road went on in silence. She really was detaching herself from him, Liam realized.

After a certain roundabout, he took a wrong route.

"You missed the exit." She told him.

He glanced at her but didn't rebound on her statement.

"Liam!" she insisted.

"Relax." He told her.

"Liam, please! I am tired, I want to rest." She declared, irritated. "You said you would take me to my apartment."

He tilted his head to the side. "That's not accurate." He said and as the raven-haired woman frown in confusion, he turned his head to her direction and stared right into her eyes before he elaborated. "I said I was taking you home… what I'm doing."

"Liam…" she began.

"I want you back, Steffy." He told her, his eyes going back and forth between the road and her.

She stared at him not trusting her ears enough to believe he had actually said what she just heard, and as she saw the sincerity in his eyes and the emotion on his face, she felt her eyes get watery. The moment lasted forever. Then, she dropped his gaze and turned to her side to stare outside the window pane trying to regain control over her emotions.

"Pull over." She asked him still facing her window pane.

"What?"

"Pull over." She repeated.

He kept driving, and then a few meters later, he pulled over at a spot where it was actually authorized for cars to pull over.

"Steffy, I…"

He didn't have time to finish his sentence for she had crushed her lips on his. Though caught off guard, Liam instantly leaned into the kiss. He brought his hand inside her raven hair and deepened the kiss. He ran his tongue over her upper lip asking for further access; she opened her mouth and he slid his tongue into it meeting hers sensually. She had one hand resting on his chest and the other in his tousled hair holding his face against hers.

After a few seconds of passionate kissing , she broke away and opened her eyes staring right into his. "There's nothing I would like more than to move back in with you." She told him and his lips pulled into a small smile. "But I can't…"

His face fell at that and he frowned lightly so she elaborated. "Because it wouldn't be for the right reasons." She justified. "I can't move back in because an hour ago, you faced the fear of losing me!" she told him. "If I do move back in, it will be because you will have realized that you love me and I am the one you want to spend your life with and solely because of that." She stated.

"But I do love you." He asserted.

"I know. I know but…" she said.

"Let me finish." He asked her. "I love you and yes, when Katie called me, I had the fear of my life. But I want you to come back because I love you, Steffy." He declared. "I realized thanks to that phone call that I don't want to live without you." He paused. "I can't live without you." He confided.

Steffy stared at him, moved. She had waited so long to hear this; she had dreamed of it. "Okay, then." She nodded. "Okay, I'll move back in." she said. "AFTER you talk to Hope." She put a condition forward.

"I will talk to her." Liam promised.

"Yes, you will." She stated. "BEFORE I move back in." she specified. "Call Hope, meet up with her and if you manage to look into her eyes and tell her you want to be with me, I swear to you I'll never let you go again." She vowed.

He stared at her, silently dreading his future discussion with the blonde. "Then, prepare your luggage." He told her.

And with that, he lit up the motor again and took off again.

**Thank you for reading.**

**Please leave a review with your thoughts.**

**You can find me tumblr under **_antoemati_** or **_soapezria._

**A very happy new years to everyone by the way.**


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